Eden. Christopher McGilvray, director. Isiah Flores, cinematographer. View the trailer here.

Here’s the thing about wine. Geeky people like me spend a lot of time (and money) learning about it, thinking about it, talking about it, and even drinking it. But the point of wine isn’t wine. It is something more.

Sue and I are reminded of this every year when we host a group of friends for Open That Bottle Night. Everyone brings a bottle of wine, a story about the wine, and some food. We celebrate the wines and enjoy the food and stories, but we learned early on that the wines aren’t the point: It is the sharing that is the point and what we learn about ourselves and each other in the process.

This was especially obvious during the COVID pandemic when our celebration was shifted to Zoom. We were all a bit hesitant to log on because we couldn’t be together physically, eat the same foods, or taste the same wines. But, to our surprise, it was a remarkably satisfying experience because the power of sharing overwhelmed the physical barriers.

Some wine films disappoint because they don’t get past the first hurdle. They start and stop at wine. Sue and I joke about the many “four seasons in the vineyard” films we’ve seen. Beautiful. Empty.

Not (Just) Wine

But the best wine films understand. Take Sideways, for example. When Miles soliloquizes about wine — Pinot Noir, of course, and Merlot, too — he’s not really talking about wine. People, with their strengths and vulnerabilities, and relationships, good and bad. These are his concerns analyzed through the medium of fermented grape juice.

Eden, which premiered about this time last year. understands very well that wine is not just about wine. It began as a documentary about Mount Eden Vineyards, a historic winery high in the Santa Cruz Mountains overlooking Silicon Valley. The original idea was to film for a year and edit for a year, telling the story of the great wines and a unique winery. But then, gradually, I suspect, and then suddenly, the focus changed and it became about the people more than the wine. And because time changes things, the people began to change, too, and so the story evolved.

Seven-Year Itch

And so, the two-year project stretched to seven years. Seven years! As a result, a few times during the film it was difficult to figure out where in the chronology we were. The film is beautiful, of course, and it tells an engaging story. But it’s not (just) about the vineyards and the wines.

What is the story? The easy way to explain is that it is about the complexities and difficulties of generational transition. What happens when the generation that built a winery and created a legacy wants to pass it along to the next generation? This is an important problem in the world of wine because there are many wineries these days struggling to figure out the transition.

Sometimes, the older generation needs to hand off to the next but just can’t or won’t let go. In other cases, the younger generation has their own dreams to follow and is not interested in inherited legacies.

Not My Eden

You know the problem. It may be Eden to you, but it’s not my Eden. The fact that the wine business has hit a rough patch just now makes everything more complicated.

Eden thoughtfully probes the evolution of the behind-the-scenes family dynamics at Eden Mountain Vineyards, making it an unexpectedly personal and revealing film. Just as the story seems to be gliding toward a soft landing, a surprise twist shakes things up. The tensions are not resolved after all and we are left to wonder what we think we’ve learned and what we think we know. I won’t be a spoiler here. You’ll need to view the film (widely available on streaming services) to see what I mean.

Some wines are meant to be gulped down and others — I call them “philosophers’ wines” — invite contemplation or introspection. Eden is the wine film for you when you are willing to channel your inner philosopher.